Pupils as young as seven from six Reading primaries – in Caversham, Whitley, Emmer Green, West Reading and Tilehurst – will be given careers advice.

The six Reading Borough Council-run primaries have been chosen among 37 schools to take part in a trial scheme, run by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

From next month, children and parents of youngsters in Years Five and Six from the Reading schools will discuss their career plans.

The Government hopes by doing this they will see an end to elitism associated with certain careers and university.

Reading primaries taking part in the scheme, championed by Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls, include Park Lane in School Road and Churchend in Usk Road, both in Tilehurst.

Other primaries taking part are Caversham Primary in Hemdean Road, Emmer Green Primary in Grove Road, Geoffrey Field Juniors in Exbourne Road, Whitley, and Wilson Primary in Wilson Road, West Reading.

Schools will also take part in Bristol, Coventry, York, Gateshead, Manchester and Plymouth.

Headteacher of Geoffrey Field Juniors Charlie Clare said: “Good careers advice is a vital element in children being able to take control of their own futures.

“The primary age is the ideal time to introduce children to the wide variety of jobs that are out there, and this programme will open their eyes to jobs they might not have considered, and to the idea that colleges and universities are perfectly within their reach.”

Mr Balls said: “Parents tell us they want to see an end to the old boys network that means only children from privileged backgrounds get their foot in the door.”

Schools Minister Iain Wright said: “We need careers guidance to keep pace with a changing economy – many of the types of jobs that will be in demand in 2010 did not exist in 2004.”

The trial was backed by the National Union of Teachers with a warning: “What this absolutely must not do is predetermine what they might do before they even leave primary school.”